Goodbye summer travel, hello autumn car care

September. Already. In our household, that translates into a whirlwind of activities. Getting the kids ready for back to school and college, creating new menus that reflect the fall harvest bounty for our catering business, flushing out our house’s gutters in anticipation of the weather change, setting the DVR to catch the new season of TV shows (anything from DIY repair to zooming away from zombies are viewing musts), and plunging into seasonal car care: focus on headlights, replace shocks, etc. Give me your best advice on how to juggle it all; Comments box is below.

This time of year is our car care Big Projects Month. Lucky for us DIY repair devotees, we can count on Advance Auto Parts for timely savings on countless key components and accessories.

Summertime travels put our SUV on more than a few semi-rugged county roads (we are fans of the road less traveled and love discovering new paths and places — no doubt the fuel for turning us into DIY repair advocates!), leaving it with a newly noticeable rough ride that meant only one thing: time to replace shocks. Though the kids enjoyed this different kind of bounce as we drove through our smooth, paved neighborhood streets, the last thing I needed was for it to escalate into “drift” mode (fine for racing tuners, but not for family SUVs). Being in a “Must Replace Shocks” frame of mind, I found Advance’s Shocktober DIY repair specials — their “Buy 4 shocks or struts for the price of 3” sale has been a budget-saver. Ever had to replace shocks on your own? How did it go? Use the Comments box below to confess how you long it really took you the first time you had to replace shocks!

This seasonal transition also brings on shorter days and that means it gets darker sooner. That’s the car care cue to see to your car’s headlights. Some simple DIY repair on your part will be a snap. Seriously, when was the last time they were replaced? Or cleaned properly? That milky, filmy layer on the lens can actually be cleared off easily with the right products. We’ve placed our confidence in Advance to provide the goods to help headlights do their job right.

That’s my short list on car care. I could go on, but I’ll save those for another time. Before I go, I want to ask: are you feeling lucky? I just entered for a chance to win the Moog Sweepstakes. I never pass up any opportunity to win something and neither should you! Speaking of Moog, if you’re experiencing any steering or suspension problems, they are the go-to brand we trust, especially when, a few years back, our minivan’s steering started to pull. Meantime, keep me posted on your Autumn car care tips and DIY repair jobs (especially that first time you had to replace shocks on your own). I love new advice; head to the Comments box below.